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Long live the amnesia plot

Feature by Christie Ridgway

★ The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells

With The Woodsmoke Women’s Book of Spells, Rachel Greenlaw offers a haunting romantic fantasy. After a decade away, English artist Carrie Morgan returns to her hometown of Woodsmoke. She had reasons to run, including her family’s witchy reputation. But her grandmother left Carrie her cottage, and she decides to refurbish it before selling the property and leaving again. The lure of the mountain town is almost as irresistible as Matthieu, a handsome stranger who offers his help with the renovation. However, Carrie’s Great-Aunt Cora, the keeper of the family’s book of spells, is convinced Carrie is headed for heartbreak: Morgan lore tells of magical, beautiful strangers who appear out of the mountains as winter begins, but disappear with the spring. Told in alternating viewpoints, the story follows Carrie, Cora and Carrie’s best friend, Ivy, as they confront their pasts and find love. Readers will lose themselves in this engrossing, atmospheric and emotional tale.

Pictures of You

Twenty-nine-year-old Evie Hudson awakens in a hospital with no memories past the age of 16 in Pictures of You by Emma Grey. Evie’s youthful voice lends a Freaky Friday/13 Going on 30 vibe to the beginning of the novel, but the can’t-look-away plot is ultimately much more serious, and the tone soon changes to match. Evie struggles to integrate what she learns of her recent past with her teenage vision of who she would become. Then an old friend, Drew, reluctantly steps in to help her discover why she broke ties with her family and best friend. Grey jumps back in time to fill in gaps for the reader, and Evie’s tale becomes darker and ever more riveting as layers are peeled back and sacrifices revealed. There’s nonstop drama and surprise after surprise in this twisty tearjerker.

Perfect Fit

A couple re-meets-cute in Perfect Fit by Clare Gilmore. Josephine Davis runs her own clothing company in Austin, Texas, and is shocked when her largest investor hires business consultant Will Grant. Not only is Will the twin brother of Jo’s ex-best friend, but the pair also made out as teenagers. Can they work together even though they haven’t spoken in nine years? Gilmore writes in a fresh, modern voice, and fills the world around Josie and Will with cool friends with cool jobs and cool attitudes who support their burgeoning romance. It seems impossible for them not to end up together . . . if only they can overcome their insecurities and act like the adults they are now. Fun food, fun drinks and fun parties put this squarely in the rom-com lane, with an added coming-of-age element thanks to Josie’s first-person perspective.

Emma Grey’s Pictures of You highlights everything that’s great about one of romance’s most soapy tropes.
RomanceRomantic SuspenseHistorical RomanceContemporary Romance

Is romantic suspense back?

Feature by Christie Ridgway

★ I Did Something Bad

Set in Yangon, Myanmar, I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War combines kisses-only romance and suspense. Freelance journalist Khin Haymar has two months of access to movie star Tyler Tun in order to write an in-depth exposé. It’s the chance of a lifetime and, even though she’s known for more serious articles, such as one featuring an underground abortion clinic, Khin is recently divorced and needs a boost.,. When Khin and Tyler meet, they’re immediately drawn to each other, but journalistic ethics rule out a relationship between a writer and subject. Still, Tyler is handsome and sexy, and one night he steps in to save Khin from danger . . . How could she not be tempted? As they work together to investigate the threat, love blossoms. With swoony moments and some serious ones regarding the importance of journalism, this sweet yet thoroughly modern story satisfies.

The Highlander’s Return

The Highlander’s Return by Lynsay Sands hits all the classic notes of a satisfying historical romance: a marriage of convenience, a strong-but-silent hero and a feisty heroine who’s very deserving of her Happily Ever After. Six years ago, Annella Gunn’s husband, William, went missing the day after their wedding. After his younger brother, brawny warrior Graeme, returns home and delivers the news that William has died, Annella is a widow with an unknown future ahead of her. Graeme knows almost instantly what the beautiful Annella should do: Marry him. As he assumes his brother’s position of laird of the Gunn clan, Graeme also takes on the task of convincing Annella to become his bride. Their mutual passion works in his favor, but after the vows are exchanged, Annella and Graeme still have much to learn about each other—and a hidden danger lurks within the castle walls. Filled with excitement in and out of the bedchamber, this romance is a sizzling addition to Sands’ Highland Brides series.

Showmance

Tony Award-nominated playwright Chad Beguelin offers up a truly entertaining debut romance in Showmance. When playwright Noah Adams’ Broadway musical closes after one night, he returns to his Illinois hometown to look in on his ailing dad and lick his own wounds. The community’s local theater was his refuge as a gay teen, and when the group asks him to stage the same musical that just flopped, Noah can’t say no—even though Luke, his hunky high school nemesis/bully, is involved. Told in Noah’s first-person perspective, with well-drawn characters and bouncy dialogue, Showmance includes touching scenes between Noah and his undemonstrative father, as well as some of Noah’s old tormentors. As it turns out, hunky Luke likes guys, too, and his and Noah’s smoking chemistry leads to a happy ending that readers—especially those who catch all the musical references—will grin over.

Pyae Moe Thet War makes a convincing argument for the subgenre with her thrilling debut, plus Lynsay Sands’ latest Highland Brides romance.
RomanceHistorical RomanceFantasy RomanceContemporary Romance

Alexis Hall does fantasy romance as only he can

Feature by Christie Ridgway

You’re the Problem, It’s You

Emma R. Alban adds a second book to her Mischief & Matchmaking series with You’re the Problem, It’s You. It’s the start of a new season in Victorian London, and second son Bobby Mason is finding his role as the spare particularly unrewarding. Everyone seems busy: his older brother and his uncle with Parliament; his cousin, Gwen, and her lover, Beth, with each other and their newfound happiness. But then James, the new Viscount Demeroven, appears on the scene. Bobby is sure of their mutual attraction, so the other man’s rejection of him galls. It takes time for Bobby to fully understand that James is dealing with severe anxiety, and fears that his sexuality might alienate him from society and tarnish his family name. But when blackmail threatens the two men, can a mutual enemy turn them into forever lovers? Alban skillfully captures James’ emotions, including his absolute yearning for Bobby, in this wonderful depiction of found families and their power to heal.

No One Does It Like You

Happily ever after gets a second chance at success in No One Does It Like You by Katie Shepard. In a terrifying moment during a hurricane, Broadway actor Tom Wilczewski leaves a voicemail for Rose Kelly, the ex-wife he hasn’t seen in 10 years. He loves her, he always has and he hopes he lives to make it up to her for all that went wrong between them. Tom survives, Rose gets the message and, seeing as she’s in a tough spot of her own, she begs him to help her restore her aunt’s inn on Martha’s Vineyard. Several amusing weeks of property rehab commence while Shepard examines how young lovers can make wrong assumptions and decisions. Rose is a fixer and Tom relied on her for too much: Can they love again while not falling into old habits? A cast of entertaining characters tramp through the plot of this sweet yet realistic love story.

Confounding Oaths

The fairy world intersects with Regency London in Alexis Hall’s Confounding Oaths. Loaded with clever banter and fascinating characters, the story follows John Caesar as he tries to help his sister Mary navigate society after she makes an ill-advised deal with a malicious fairy godmother. John’s quest to save Mary brings him to dashing Captain Orestes James, a war hero whose skills and rapscallion friends become necessary to rescue the girl. Shakespeare’s Puck serves as narrator, and the snarky, world-weary hobgoblin’s amusing asides contribute to the sexy fun. (Although Puck’s disinterest in mortal lovemaking means that he’s light on any intimate details.) But it’s not all laughs, as issues of class, race and sexuality are also addressed in this imaginative and interesting addition to Hall’s oeuvre.

The author’s latest, Confounding Oaths, comes complete with an evil fairy godmother, plus sweet new releases from Emma R. Alban and Katie Shepard in this month’s romance column.
RomanceHistorical RomanceContemporary Romance

May we interest you in some hot bodyguards?

Feature by Amanda Diehl & Dolly R. Sickles

Hot Earl Summer

New York Times bestselling author Erica Ridley returns to her Wild Wynchesters series with a heroine who has a penchant for finding trouble and a shy, brainy hero pretending to be his cousin. Combine that pairing with a castle siege and the mystery of a missing will, and you have a delightful Regency romance that isn’t afraid to go over the top. 

The ownership of the Earl of Densmore’s castle is up for debate, and the notorious Wynchesters, a family of vigilantes and fixers with hearts of gold, are hired to get to the bottom of things. The previous earl’s will left the castle to the kind Miss Oak, who wants to refashion the estate into an orphanage. However, that document is missing, and the current Earl of Densmore claims he wagered the castle in a card game and lost. The search is soon on to find the missing will and determine if the earl possessed the standing to offer up the castle in the first place. 

Stephen Lenox, a talented but reclusive inventor, didn’t know that when he agreed to pose as his cousin (the aforementioned swindling earl) that he would have to deal with a host of people ranging from curious to annoyed to downright violent descending upon the castle and shouting something about a will. He’s clearly in way over his head, and Elizabeth Wynchester immediately appoints herself as his bodyguard. With a penchant for snuggling prickly little hedgehogs and for hiding a sword in her cane, Elizabeth isn’t afraid to take risks and flirt with danger. She may be the most lively and chaotic of the riotous Wynchesters, all of whom prove at every turn that Ridley’s series title is an apt one. 

Ridley’s reversal of the usual gender roles in a bodyguard romance adds an extra layer of fun to this opposites-attract courtship. The dashing Elizabeth is a tornado of energy and excitement, bringing her large and lovingly unmanageable family with her. Stephen, on the other hand, feels more at home alone, tinkering with his various inventions and gadgets. Having to answer for and try to rectify his cousin’s bad behavior, on top of managing a castle filled with nosy strangers, is his own personal nightmare. But Elizabeth knows just how to offset his anxiety, and helps him shoulder some difficult moments with her unshakable, uncompromising confidence. 

Fans of the previous books in the series will enjoy reuniting with familiar characters, and Ridley provides plenty of background information for newcomers to the series. No matter which camp readers may fall into, Hot Earl Summer is a wonderful and wacky romp.

—Amanda Diehl

The Royals Upstairs

Karina Halle’s latest royal rom-com, The Royals Upstairs, takes place at the historic and lovely Skaugum Estate, a remote retreat in the Norwegian countryside where two former lovers reignite their affair.

James Hunter is the Norwegian royal family’s new personal protection officer. He’s an experienced, regimented man with a penchant for suits and a preference for being on the go in the buzz of a big city. He meets the surprise news that, instead of jet-setting around the world, he’ll be stuck at an isolated manor on the outskirts of Oslo with . . . the opposite of enthusiastic revelry. To make matters worse, when James arrives he learns that the former love of his life, Laila Bruset, is the family’s nanny.

Laila loves her work, even though her hands are very full with Bjorn and Tor, the two unruly, wild young Norwegian princes. She’s got a spine of steel and a heart full of determination, but even her quiet strength falters with the arrival of James. When they were together, he abruptly ended things, flooding her with feelings of rejection and unworthiness that she has no intention of revisiting.

Both James and Laila have experienced tragedies and loss that make them hesitant to take a leap of faith, but time and maturity offer a new lens through which to consider their potential. Besides, what else is there to do on their days off out in the boondocks? As readers, we have the advantage of perspective: Knowing the sad circumstances of James’ and Leila’s pasts lets us understand their hesitation better than they do. In their crowded worlds of constant spotlight and care for their charges, both are remarkably alone. They see each other, though, and can be themselves together—and being at odds is more painful than the circumstances that drew them apart. The romance here is a slow burn, and the characters often put themselves through more misery than is warranted, but in the end, The Royals Upstairs is a transportive pleasure for us commoners.

—Dolly R. Sickles

Two romances give the popular trope a royal twist and a gender flip.
RomanceFictionPopular FictionLiterary FictionContemporary Romance

Get nostalgic with your book club

Feature by Julie Hale

In Tim Murphy’s Speech Team, high school friends Tip, Natalie, Jennifer and Anthony meet as adults in the wake of the suicide of their friend Pete. The gang came of age in the 1980s and were part of their school’s speech team, which was coached by the abrasive Gary Gold. When it becomes clear that Gold’s criticisms scarred all of them and may have been connected to Pete’s death, they decide to have it out with him. With humor and sensitivity, Murphy writes about the pressures of the past and the challenges of adulthood, working in plenty of ’80s references along the way.

Steven Rowley’s The Editor takes place in New York City during the ’90s. Writer James Smale is thrilled to learn that his novel has been picked up by a big-name publisher and will be edited by Jackie Onassis. Onassis adores James’ manuscript, which was inspired by his troubled family. But James hits a snag prior to publication, as he fears the book will hurt those closest to him. With themes of memory, kinship and the creative process, The Editor is sure to spark lively dialogue among readers.

Set in Los Angeles in 2016, Kate and Danny Tamberelli’s The Road Trip Rewind is a quirky tale of detours taken on the path to love. The filming of Beatrix Noel’s ’90s-inspired screenplay is underway, but she’s dismayed that old flame Rocco Riziero has landed the lead. Their romance was derailed on New Year’s Eve in 1999. When a car accident takes them back in time to that pivotal year, they get another chance at love. An enjoyable trip from start to finish, this atmospheric flashback to the ’90s is a can’t-miss book club pick.

Nathan Hill explores the trials and rewards of marriage in Wellness. Elizabeth and Jack fall in love in the 1990s in Chicago, where they’re part of the bohemian arts community. As the years go by, their countercultural tendencies fall by the wayside as they focus on paying the bills and being good parents. Hill’s richly detailed novel is a moving look at the compromises that are part of adulthood and family life, and offers a range of topics for discussion, including personal evolution, self-fulfillment and the vagaries of long-term relationships.

Take a trip back in time with four novels that revisit the ’80s and ’90s. The Gen Xers in your book club will have a blast.
RomanceContemporary Romance

The Royals Upstairs

Review by Dolly Sickles

Karina Halle’s latest royal rom-com, The Royals Upstairs, takes place at the historic and lovely Skaugum Estate, a remote retreat in the Norwegian countryside where two former lovers reignite their affair.

James Hunter is the Norwegian royal family’s new personal protection officer. He’s an experienced, regimented man with a penchant for suits and a preference for being on the go in the buzz of a big city. He meets the surprise news that, instead of jet-setting around the world, he’ll be stuck at an isolated manor on the outskirts of Oslo with . . . the opposite of enthusiastic revelry. To make matters worse, when James arrives he learns that the former love of his life, Laila Bruset, is the family’s nanny.

Laila loves her work, even though her hands are very full with Bjorn and Tor, the two unruly, wild young Norwegian princes. She’s got a spine of steel and a heart full of determination, but even her quiet strength falters with the arrival of James. When they were together, he abruptly ended things, flooding her with feelings of rejection and unworthiness that she has no intention of revisiting.

Both James and Laila have experienced tragedies and loss that make them hesitant to take a leap of faith, but time and maturity offer a new lens through which to consider their potential. Besides, what else is there to do on their days off out in the boondocks? As readers, we have the advantage of perspective: Knowing the sad circumstances of James’ and Leila’s pasts lets us understand their hesitation better than they do. In their crowded worlds of constant spotlight and care for their charges, both are remarkably alone. They see each other, though, and can be themselves together—and being at odds is more painful than the circumstances that drew them apart. The romance here is a slow burn, and the characters often put themselves through more misery than is warranted, but in the end, The Royals Upstairs is a transportive pleasure for us commoners.

Karina Halle’s The Royals Upstairs is a transportive pleasure for us commoners.
RomanceHistorical RomanceContemporary Romance

What if ‘Downton Abbey’ was a gothic romance?

Feature by Christie Ridgway

★ The Housekeeper’s Secret

Downton Abbey gets a dark and delicious twist in The Housekeeper’s Secret by Iona Grey, a historical romance spanning the years just before and during World War I. Running from her past, Kate Furniss hides as the housekeeper of Coldwell Hall, an isolated house on the moors of northern England. She feels relatively safe until a handsome young footman, Jem Arden, joins the servants’ ranks. She can’t afford to lose her heart, but Jem is irresistible—even as he conceals his own mysterious purpose. In this haunting and heart-rending story, Grey skillfully captures the isolation of the location, the powerlessness of the servant class and the growing sinister atmosphere at Coldwell Hall. A variety of perspectives and time shifts enrich the story, as well as Grey’s depictions of the desperation of warfare. Readers will breathlessly wait to learn the fates of Kate and Jem in this fabulous story.

Viscount in Love

Eloisa James pens a delightful historical gem with Viscount in Love. Viscount Dominic Kelbourne has just become the guardian of his eccentric, recently orphaned niece and nephew, and he counts himself lucky to be on the verge of getting married—until his fiancée elopes. His ex’s sister, Victoria “Torie” Sutton, takes an interest in the twins, and could be persuaded to marry Dominic for their sake. Problem solved? But Torie, a passionate artist with her own eccentricities, wants to be a true and beloved wife, not a convenient nanny figure. James dazzles with her cast of appealing characters in this laugh-out-loud romance; the twins especially shine as they compile an ever-growing list of topics prohibited from polite discourse. Don’t miss this one.

Cross the Line

Simone Soltani revs up the always-popular “brother’s best friend” trope with the fast, fun Cross the Line. Recent college graduate Willow Williams is desperate for a job, so she takes on the temporary role of social media manager for Formula One driver Dev Anderson, her childhood crush and her brother’s BFF. She’ll accompany Dev to races all over the world, and while the job is everything she could want, trying to keep control of her feelings for Dev presents a challenge. Flirty, sexy and downright dangerous, ladies man Dev doesn’t make things easier. But despite their chemistry, he knows that succumbing to his and Willow’s attraction for each other might break family ties—and their own hearts. Readers will enjoy the friend group surrounding the starring pair as well as details of the glamorous Formula One world as they root for Dev to win the races and the girl.

Iona Grey’s The Housekeeper’s Secret is a dark delight, plus Eloisa James kicks off an adorable new Regency series.
RomanceContemporary Romance

How Rainbow Rowell learned to stop worrying and love prom

Behind the Book by Rainbow Rowell

For someone who only went to one school dance, I can’t seem to stay away from them in my books. Almost all of my characters go to prom. (Or homecoming. Or, in the case of my British characters, a leavers’ ball.)

In my new novel, Slow Dance, a flashback to prom sets the stage for the grown-up love story at the heart of the book—seeing the main characters all dressed up at 18 tells you everything you need to know about them at 33. 

I love writing about prom.

I also love writing about weddings. And Christmas dinners. And first days of school.

“In a novel, prom is even better than a wedding.”

Shiloh, one of the main characters in Slow Dance, would be very disdainful of this. Prom is a false holiday, she’d say. (Holidays are false holidays, according to Shiloh. She’s a skeptic.) She refers to prom as a bundle of meaningless traditions that produce manufactured sentiments.

“It’s just a ritual,” Shiloh says in the book. And Cary, her best friend and the boy she’s secretly in love with, replies, “Rituals are all we have.”

I started out a Shiloh. But I’ve become a Cary.

As you get older, you realize that red-letter days are few and far between. Birthdays feel smaller every year—and almost nothing calls for ceremony. (There’s a real ceremonial dry spell between your wedding and your funeral, and the latter will be wasted on you.) As an adult, you almost never get really dressed up to commemorate the beginning or end of something. You almost never have an excuse to wear flowers. The days start to run together. . . . Without any rites, time is just passage. 

Prom, even more than graduation, is the American coming-of-age ritual. And I say this, knowing that many, if not most, prom experiences suck! Prom has everything: music, costumes, girls holding hands and crying. Prom is one of the only production numbers you get in life. It’s no wonder that adults organize second-chance proms, and that countries that never had proms have adopted the tradition.

It’s no wonder that authors like me can’t resist them.

Read our review of ‘Slow Dance’ by Rainbow Rowell.

In a novel, prom is even better than a wedding. (Slow Dance has both, by the way; I went all in.) It’s pageantry plus adolescence. You get to dress your characters up and dim the lights. You get to layer drama on top of drama on top of revelation. Who will they go with? Who will they dance with? What disco ball epiphanies await them? (Alternately: Who will stay home? Who’ll stand by the wall? Who will feel empty at the end of the night?)

Prom is a way to bring a story to a fizzy peak or a dizzy low. Shakespeare ended so many of his lighter plays with weddings only because he didn’t have prom at his disposal. 

Shiloh is right: Prom is about manufacturing sentiment. Especially in a work of fiction.

But Cary is more right, I think. Rituals like prom “allow us an outlet for actual sentiment.” They set the stage for us to feel something.

Picture of Rainbow Rowell courtesy of the author.

“Shakespeare ended so many of his lighter plays with weddings only because he didn't have prom at his disposal.”
RomanceContemporary Romance

The Pairing

Review by Katie Garaby

In Casey McQuiston’s The Pairing, two former flames, one food-and-wine tour across Europe and an unhinged hookup competition make for a delicious and decadent queer romance. 

In their nearly two decades of friendship, Kit and Theo have been many things to each other: childhood besties, first crushes, romantic partners and now, estranged exes. After a devastating breakup four years ago, mid-flight to the European foodie tour of their dreams, neither has heard a single word from the other. Theo has found their groove as a bartender and aspiring sommelier, Kit graduated from pastry school in France and both have left a wake of lovers in their path. With a month left before the voucher for the trip they never took expires, Kit and Theo both rebook the tour—only to find that great minds think alike. But time heals all wounds and both characters are completely over each other. So much so that when Theo makes a bet with Kit on who can hook up with their hot Italian tour guide first, it feels like a perfectly reasonable thing to accept. And heck, why not go all out with a full-on hookup competition? But as this “friendly” competition heats up, Theo and Kit find it hard to ignore what they’re really craving.

Two exes actively hooking up with other people doesn’t exactly sound like the traditional road to a Happily Ever After. But The Pairing is what happens when an immensely talented and much-beloved author levels up. McQuiston deftly crafts a complex love story, one that not just any writer could pull off, and the result is testament to their talent. The care Kit and Theo have for each other is clearly evident, manifesting in the tender way they handle their day-to-day travels together and discussion of their competition. While they may be actively sleeping with other people, they are never far from the other’s thoughts: In one particularly sexy scene, Theo and Kit find themselves on adjoining patios with their lovers, apart but together, the sounds they know so well fueling them towards their finish. Theo and Kit’s relationship is delightfully queer and nontraditional, playing with gender roles in and out of the bedroom, so it makes sense that their path back to each other would be similarly unconventional.

A Bacchanalian romp from Monaco to Pisa to Paris, The Pairing is best accompanied by a Campari spritz and a cornetto alla marmellata di albicocche, ideally whilst seated in a little Italian cafe. But regardless of the location, you will devour this book with unbridled gusto.

A bacchanalian romp from Monaco to Pisa to Paris, The Pairing is a testament to Casey McQuiston’s talent.
RomanceContemporary Romance

Slow Dance

Review by Elizabeth Mazer

A chunk of the chapters of Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance begin with the word “before.” Before, when they were high schoolers in Omaha, Nebraska, Cary and Shiloh were “odd couple” best friends. Quiet and focused, Cary was the straitlaced Navy ROTC kid. Shiloh was the theater nerd, the counterculture girl who could never sit still—but never quite knew where she wanted to go, either. And yet, they were inseparable. The kind of joined-at-the-hip friends who seemed destined to end up together, if they weren’t together already. But in the present day (read: 2006), they haven’t spoken in 14 years when Cary comes back to Omaha for a mutual friend’s wedding. Cary’s path led exactly where he expected: He’s now a Navy officer. Shiloh’s path led her somewhere she didn’t expect: She’s a divorcée with two kids, living in her mom’s rundown house. She and Cary have even less in common than they did before. The one thing that hasn’t changed is how much they love each other. The only difference is now, they might finally be ready to do something about it.

How Rainbow Rowell learned to stop worrying and love prom.

Rowell is the author of several beloved bestsellers for adults (Attachments) and teens (Eleanor & Park), and if I had to pick one word to describe her prose, it would be “sharp”: Every line is witty, insightful and uncompromising, with nothing airbrushed or glossed over. Shiloh and Cary’s lives, while often funny, are genuinely messy: not in a shallow, sitcom kind of way, but in a real, brutally honest way that makes the laugh catch in your throat. Because while both main characters are clever and funny, charming and appealing, the situations they’re in are also painfully relatable. They grapple with difficult family dynamics and deeply personal insecurities. Slow Dance isn’t just a story about two people who love each other. It’s about two people who like each other, who get each other and who come through for each other even when everything seems screwed up. It’s a romance that’s chaotic, fraught, emotionally charged—and beautifully real.

Witty, insightful and uncompromising, Rainbow Rowell’s Slow Dance is an emotionally charged and beautifully real romance.
RomanceHistorical RomanceContemporary Romance

Tessa Bailey scores with an incredibly hot, grumpy-sunshine hockey romance

Feature by Christie Ridgway

★ A Shore Thing

In Joanna Lowell’s Victorian romance A Shore Thing, dashing bicycle store owner Kit Griffith teams up with botanist Muriel Pendrake for a multi-day biking contest to prove that women can ride as well as men. While this premise is delightful enough on its face, the story gains complexity and poignancy when the reader learns that Kit is trans, having recently left a sisterhood of female artists behind to live life true to himself. Muriel is surprised, but that doesn’t stop her from falling hard for the charming Kit, who swears he’s an affairs-only kind of lover. Through discussions of art, nature, community and identity, these fascinating characters grapple with the obstacles of their time and circumstances—all while on a one-of-a-kind road trip. Thought-provoking, heartwarming and possessing an entertaining cast of secondary characters, this romance is a winner all-around.

Just One Taste

Just One Taste by Lizzy Dent is a love letter to Italy and its cuisine as much as it is a love story between two Brits on a research trip to the sun-drenched country. When Olive Stone’s estranged father dies, he upends her world by leaving her his Italian eatery in London and the task of finishing his cookbook. That means a four-week trip alongside her dad’s sous-chef, the gorgeous Leo Ricci, who had reason to expect the inheritance to come his way. Dent takes the readers on a sensual vacation to four regions of Italy as Olive and Leo absorb the sights, smells and tastes of their surroundings while mulling over what to do about the struggling restaurant and their growing feelings for each other. This pleasure-filled, delicious romance will inspire dinner reservations at a fave Italian place—if not a food-centered trip abroad.

The Au Pair Affair

Tessa Bailey offers up another smiley, swoony and supremely sexy romance with The Au Pair Affair. Readers of Fangirl Down, the previous entry in Bailey’s Big Shots series, will already know pro hockey star Burgess Abraham, who enjoys his reputation on the ice as “Sir Savage,” his relationship with his 12-year-old-daughter, Lissa . . . and not much else. That is, until the titular au pair—Tallulah Aydin—enters his life. Grad student Tallulah is 11 years younger than Burgess, and has big trust issues for a very good reason. But Bailey makes the pages burn as usual, with a gruff, rough-talking man who surprises the heroine with the lust he inspires—and the love. In order to find their happy ending, the pair must consider Lissa’s feelings, whether the non-sporty Tallulah could ever become a rabid hockey follower and, most of all, if Burgess can envision a full, adventure-filled life off the ice. The Au Pair Affair is an energetic romp with wisecracking friends, but it also has a sizzling, distinctly sexual energy. Don’t be surprised if you need to fan yourself.

Plus, two swoony trips (a Victorian seaside bike ride! a food tour of Italy!) round out this month’s romance column.
RomanceParanormal RomanceHistorical RomanceContemporary Romance

The 15 best romance novels of 2024—so far

List by the editors of BookPage
STARRED REVIEW
June 25, 2024

The 15 best romance novels of 2024—so far

Surprise, surprise: Rom-coms still dominate. But moodier contemporary romances are on the rise and historicals are venturing into less-commonly seen eras.
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Book jacket image for My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long

My Season of Scandal

Julie Anne Long exquisitely captures sensuous, romantic longing in My Season of Scandal, a love story between an innocent debutante and a notorious politician.
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Book jacket image for Funny Story by Emily Henry

Funny Story

Featuring laugh-out-loud banter and flawed but lovable characters, Funny Story is Emily Henry at her best.
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justforonesummer

Just for the Summer

In Abby Jimenez’s superb Just for the Summer, two people cursed a la “Good Luck Chuck” try to break their unlucky streaks by dating each ...
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Book jacket image for Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday

Canadian Boyfriend

Jenny Holiday’s engaging, introspective Canadian Boyfriend is everything a romance novel should be.
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A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

Once you’ve finished A Love Song for Ricki Wilde, you’ll undoubtedly be jealous of those who get to experience it for the first time.
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Surprise, surprise: Rom-coms still dominate. But moodier contemporary romances are on the rise and historicals are venturing into less-commonly seen eras.
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‘Challengers’ readalikes

Feature by the editors of BookPage
Apples Never Fall jacket

Apples Never Fall

Challengers was all about competition and the drive to be the best. Competing with lovers and friends is one thing, but what if the conflict was within your own family? Apples Never Fall stars a tennis dynasty, made up of two retired stars—Stan and Joy—whose four adult children also played professionally. When Joy disappears, Stan is suspected, and Amy, Logan, Troy and Brooke must decide if they believe he’s innocent. No one does drama like Australian author Liane Moriarty (Big Little Lies, The Husband’s Secret), and this apple is as juicy as it gets. Bonus: You can get this one on a screen too. The TV adaptation is currently streaming on Peacock, and stars Sam Neill and Annette Bening.

Carrie Soto Is Back

Carrie Soto would definitely understand Tashi Duncan, and by that we mean they would immediately try to destroy each other. (They’d probably become friends eventually, but only after almost reducing each other to rubble.) The ferociously determined tennis player at the center of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel decides to come out of retirement to one-up Nikki Chan, the new star player who just broke Carrie’s record amount of Slam titles. If you came away from Challengers wanting more Tashi, this is the book for you.

The Divine Miss Marble

If Challengers made you want to know even more about what it’s like to be a woman in tennis, Robert Weintraub’s biography of Alice Marble, one of the very first tennis greats, can scratch that itch. The Divine Miss Marble chronicles the ups and downs of her life in thrilling detail. Marble won 18 Grand Slam championships between 1936 and 1940 and rubbed elbows with Hollywood stars like Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, but her influence extended into the late 20th century as she coached greats like Billie Jean King.

Sudden Death

Did you leave the theater thinking, that was fun, but I wish the tennis matches were weirder? Have we got a book for you. Álvaro Enrigue’s bawdy, bizarre tennis novel kicks off with a match between Spanish poet Francisco de Quevedo and Italian painter Caravaggio, and just gets weirder from there (at one point, they’re playing tennis with a ball made of Anne Boleyn’s hair). The author interjects metafictional asides that skewer the conquest of Mexico and other topics, and the book doesn’t shy away from violence, either. We can guarantee one thing: You’ll never read anything else like it.

Wicked Beauty jacket

Wicked Beauty

Let’s be real: The steaminess of the Challengers trailer, and the chemistry among its three stars, was a huge contributor to the film’s successful opening weekend. If you’re looking for a read with a similar spark, Katee Robert is the author for you. Start with the third installment in her Dark Olympus series, which reimagines Greek mythology. Wicked Beauty puts the Iliad’s Achilles and Patroclus into a polyamorous relationship with Helen of Troy. The sex scenes are scorching hot (a Robert trademark), but as in Challengers, the emotional connections are equally complex and valued.

Couldn't get enough of Challengers, director Luca Guadagnino's sophisticated and steamy story of a tennis pro love triangle? We've got some reading material for you.

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